A skin test to confirm the presence of sarcoidosis [After Morten Ansgar Kveim (b. 1892), Swedish physician].
The characteristic histological test used for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. The test involves an intradermal injection of sarcoid spleen tissue; if positive, non-caseating granulomata are seen at the injection site in 4—6 weeks. A positive test is highly specific for sarcoid but, if negative, the condition cannot be excluded.
The Kveim test is a skin diagnostic method for sarcoidosis, a condition characterized by tissue inflammation. It involves injecting the Kveim antigen, a protein derived from the spleens of sarcoidosis patients, into the skin. After four to six weeks, biopsies are taken from the injected area to check for the formation of sarcoid tissue nodules. However, this test is now largely outdated and has been superseded by lung tissue analyses conducted during bronchoscopy or biopsies of other impacted tissues.